Artist: Stacy Epps
Title: The Awakening
Label: Japanubia
Genre: Soul/Hip-Hop/Electronica
A fusion artist in the greatest sense, Stacy Epps has been bouncing around the music industry for the better part of a decade working with artists like Madlib, MF Doom and J Rawls. With The Awakening, Epps finally drops her debut album and she effortlessly joins the ranks of a new movement in progressive soul female artists such as Jack Davey, Musinah, and Ra-Re Valverde. Obviously influenced by the eclectic dreamscapes of Erykah Badu and mid-90s trip-hop, Stacy Epps has crafted a sharp piece of work that seems to drift effortlessly on gentle wisps of clouds into your subconscious.
The Awakening sets about creating its own universe wrapping the listener in Dilla-esque beats that knock with bass and layered vocals. The music is so captivating and avant-garde that lovers of new sounds will immediately be drawn in. The broken beat bounce of the title track melds seamlessly into the esoteric “OM” featuring Musinah or the honey-dipped psychedelia of “Addicted.” Like Badu, Epps can create a track out of nothing but sounds and a few lyrics like on the intoxicating “Who Knows.” But Stacy sings and raps with equal conviction, so for every track that features neo-soul musings there is an equally impressive underground hip-hop track such as the compelling and socially conscious “Heaven” or the anthemic “Cosmic Dust.” The two sides come together on the album centerpiece the gorgeous “Floatin” with its classic off-kilter beat and soaring hook that realize the track’s title with ease.
The Awakening is definitely one to check out. With socially responsible lyrics, dreamlike production, and superb vocals, Stacy Epps has made her mark.
- Norman Mayers
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